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F. F. MILLER. CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 19W.

1,303,491. Patented May 13, 1919.

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F. F. MILLER.

CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE H4918.

Patented May13, 1919.

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FRANK F. MILLER, 01? SIOUX FALLSQSOUTH DAKOTA;

Specification of Letters Patent.

CLOTHES-LINE SUPPORT.

Application filed .l'une 1'7, 1918. Serial No. 240,477.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sioux Falls, in. "the county of Minnehaha and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements inClothes-Line Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes line supports, and hasfor one of its objects to. improve the construction and produce asimplyconstructed device whereby any required tension may be applied tothe clothes line and thus obviate the necessity for employing clothesprops of the ordinary construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothes line supportwhich will sup port the line under normal conditions and which willyield when abnormal strains are applied and thus avoid breaking theline.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterincluding one or more intermediate supports for lines which areabnormally long. a With hese and other objects in view, theinventionvconsists in certain novel features of construction, ashereinafter shown and described and thenspecifically point-ed out in theclaims; and in the drawings illus invention-- a Figure 1 is aperspective view of the improved device in its simpler form,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective view of one oit'theheadmembers of the supports, a

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, j i

Fig. 4 is an end elevation enlarged, of th upper portion of one of thesupports, illus trating its construction j Fig. 5 is a side elevation ofone of the sup-.

ports illustrating the manner of applying strain to the line, a h

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a slight modification inthe arrangement a of the strain applying elements.

The improved device includes movable standards or supports at the endsof the line with one or more intermediate supports,

guy members attached to the terminal sup{ ports, and a flexible elementconnected to one of theterminal supports to receive one 1 end of thegarment supporting line. By this means the line is maintained in itstaut preferred embodiment of the mediate supports.

Ameea May 13, 1919. 1

condition under the stress of a normal load.

but will yield if an abnormal load is ap plied to the line, andthusavoid breaking the line, and will also restorethe line to its a normalcondition when the load is removed.

The supports are substantially alike and a description of one willsmiles for all.

Each support includes legs or side members 1011 spaced at their lowerends and united by a tie rod 12 and converging at their upper ends andconnected to a head block illustrated specifically in Fig. 2. Each ofplates 13-14c and an intermediate connect-x ing web 15. At their upperends the mem bers 10--11 are beveledandadapted to fit a between theplates l3-14 and bear against the web 15 at opposite sides. The members10 ].1are coupled to the web 15 of the head member by a clamp bolt 16 orother suitable device. Each of the sup-ports thus resembles the letter Ain outline as illustrated in Fig. 1. Extending from the plate 13 is anopen hook 17 while a similar hook 18 extends from the plate 14:. Thegarment supporting line is, preferably formed of 1718. At one end of oneof the line sec tions a relatively strong coiledspring 21 is connectedbetween the line and the adjacent hook 17 or 18 as tliecase may be. Forthe purpose of illustrationthree of the A supports are; shown, but itwill be under stoodthat as many of these su ports may be used asrequired, depending upon the length ofthe line. Relatively short lineswill require only the terminal supports, but longer lines will requireone or more of the inter- The outer hooks 17 or 18 as the case may be,of the terminal supports are provided with guy members 22, preferably ofwireyand with eyes at the ends to be engaged respectively with the outerhook of the end supports and a supporting stake or pin at the other end.Preferably the supporting stake will be of the ordinary screw form,illustrated at 23 and commonly known as screw picket pins.

In erecting the improved device the terminal supports are first disposedin an outwardlyinclined position as shown in Fig. 5, and after the lines19 and the tension spring devices 21, guys 22 and holding pins 23 are inposition, the lower ends of the members 10-11 will be moved outwardly,or away from each other as indicatedby the dotted lines in Fig. 5, toapply the requisite strain to the line. A very strong pulling force maythus be applied to dispose the line sections normally extending in adirect line between the terminal supports, and likewise through theintermediate supports, if any are employed.

In Figs. 1 and 5 the spring 21 is shown disposed between the adjacentsection of the 'line 19 and the A support, and in Fig. 6

' and considerable of the rigid strain is re moved from the guy deviceand the anchor device. If the spring is not of sufficient strength or oftoo much strength, as the case may be, it can be adjusted from oneposition to another, and increase the pull on the line, without'changingthe pull on the anchor device. This is accomplished by oscillating thesupport as shown by dotted .lines in Fig. 6.

The pull on the guy 22 equals four pounds on the line 19, and by placingthe spring 21 where shownin Fig. 6, the guy is re lieved of stresseswhen heavy loads are placed on the line or when the garments on the lineare subjected to high winds or otherwise subjected to abnormal stresses.

When a heavy load is applied to the line the latter will sag as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 6.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A support for clothes lines comprising a head block including fiatplates connected by an intermediate web and defining oppo-' sitelydisposed recesses, there being a transverse opening formed in the web,hooks extending laterally from the outer faces of the plates, diverginglegs fitting in the ad jacent recesses of the head block, and a boltpassing through the upper ends of the diverging legs and through theopening of the web for securing the head block in position on the legs.

2. A clothes line support comprising a head block including fiat platesconnected by an intermediate web to form oppositely disposed recesses,hooks secured to the outer faces of the plates, diverging legs havingtheir upper ends beveled and fitting within the recesses, a bolt passingthrough the beveled ends of the diverging legs and through said web anda tie rod connecting the lower ends of the legs.

3. A support for clothes lines comprising a head block including flatplates connected by an intermediate web arranged at substantially rightangles thereto and defining oppositely disposed recesses, there being atransverse opening formed in the web, hooks extending laterally from theouter faces of the plates and disposed in alinement with the web withtheir bills extending upwardly, diverging legs having their upper endsbeveled and fitting in the adjacent recesses and bearing against theplates, and a bolt passing through the beveled ends of the diverginglegs and through the opening in the web for securing the head block inposition on the legs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK r. MILLER. [n 3.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 10.0.

